We had never heard of a Scandinavian donut until a trip along the upper Mississippi River took us past a small bakery in Lindstrom, Minnesota, that wants the world to know it is the Norske donut’s home.

Proprietor Bernetta Coulombe, whom all know as Bernie, said that her late husband endlessly fussed and fiddled with the recipe until he got it right. We asked her, "Why are they called Scandinavian?"

She answered: "Because I am Scandinavian and I make them."

Ok, then. These donuts are in fact very similar to a regular sinker, but richer, darker, and with a crisp, lusciously oily surface. The cake-rich rounds of dough are available plain, glazed, chocolate-frosted, and cinnamon-sugared. They are small but substantial.

Beyond donuts, this town bakery offers shelves of Swedish white bread, caraway limpa bread, raisin rye, caramel rings, and coffee cakes. A sign on the wall notes that everything for sale is made every day.

While much business at Lindstrom's is take-out, there is a small dining area to which customers bring their donuts, cookies, or sweet rolls for eating on premises. One mid-morning when we came by, the big table was occupied by 8 old-timers playing some sort of dice game, drinking coffee, and neighboring.